A landmark Federal Court decision last December prevented logging in Tasmania’s Wielangta forests. Because the ruling questioned the ability of a Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) to protect threatened species, it also questions the legality of East Gippsland’s logging. Attempts by the Commonwealth to hand over responsibility for protecting three federally listed species to the State …
When Labor announced it would protect all ‘significant stands’ of old growth, they must have been using their special parliamentary dictionary. In Eastern Victoria, Mr Bracks protected only 5% of areas identified as critical to extinction-proof native species and protect domestic water catchments. The Forest Alliance had carefully mapped and scientifically validated these areas. Wins …
After Beazley bit the dust in 2006, the shiny new Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd travelled to Tasmania. He stated that Mark Latham’s rescue package for the forests back in 2004 was all wrong and Mark didn’t properly take on board the loggers wants. Rudd rewarded Peter Garrett for lying about Greens preferences by making …
Old growth forests store massive amounts of carbon but have been accused of just ‘stagnating’ and not actively absorbing any. Quite the opposite is true. Old-growth forests continue to remove far more carbon than previously thought, making their protection a high priority in tackling global warming. A new study found that a 400-year-old forest in …
Old growth forests store massive amounts of carbon but have been accused of just ‘stagnating’ and not actively absorbing any. Quite the opposite is true. Old-growth forests continue to remove far more carbon than previously thought, making their protection a high priority in tackling global warming. A new study found that a 400-year-old forest in …
Despite a promise to protect old growth forests that link the Errinundra and Snowy parks, logging crews were clearfelling 30ha of giant trees in a protected area that Premier Bracks had promised would get “immediate protection”. Environment Minister John Thwaites was not willing to comment on the issue at first but later said that any …
For years now, governments and water authorities have determined that offshore oil and gas operations are causing groundwater in Gippsland to drop. But nothing has been done to solve the problem. The all-powerful oil and gas industry is well known as a major string puller of governments of every colour. The Commonwealth Government pockets $1.6 …
In October last year, a group of timber workers started a lobby group called Loggers for Forests. The group wants to stop woodchipping in old growth forests and to use trees taken from forests more efficiently. Mick Harris is a timber contractor from Fernbank in East Gippsland and he says most loggers think woodchipping is …
The Exclusive Brethren’s manipulation of election campaigns has been a major influence in politics. Now it’s been revealed how companies infiltrate the political sphere to direct major decisions in their favour. Multinational packaging company Amcor who owned the PaperlinX woodchip and paper mill in the Latrobe Valley, were involved in corporate spying on green groups …
The public relations elite are brainstorming ways to keep what they call the “crazy little old ladies” and “gays who do naughty things to whales” quiet. Industry and government representatives have paid $600 each to learn the tricks of the trade from Canadian PR consultant, Ross Irvine, the self-styled Svengali of anti-activist activism. Irvine graced …
